Liquid-fuel-supply apparatus for internal-combustion engines.



1. H IGGINSON (a H. ARUNDEL.

LIQUID FUEL SUPPLY. APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I8, I916.

LQ'YU, l 5?. I lutont'vd J um 18. 1918 'AIiIIm IILIus.

it i a PATE'I OFFCE.

JOSEPH HIGGINSON AND HUBERI ARUNLDEL, OF STOCKPORT, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO STEWART WARNER SPEEDOMETER CORPORATION. OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPO- RATION OF VIRGINIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1918.

Application filed November 18, 1916. Serial No. 132,187.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Josnrn I'IIHGINSON and Hnnnnr AaUNonL, subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and residents of Sovereign VOI'liS, Stockport, in the county of Chester, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements .in Liquid-Fuel-Supply Apparatus for lnternal-Comhustion Engines. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to liquid fuel supply apparatus for internal combustion engines of the type in which, between the fuel tank and the carburetor, there is interposed an intermediate vessel (hereinafter termed the apparatus) into which the fuel is drawn by suction from said tank and from which it falls by gravity to the carburetor.

When the aforesaid type of apparatus is fitted to an engine supplied through a carburetor having a large"throughway aperture, or when the engine to which it is fitted is working at full or nearly full throttle opening and the engine is not racing or revolving at high speed, as for example when a motor vehicle driven by the engine is climbing an incline on a high gear, it has been found that the apparatus fails to lift the fuel from the low level tank; it is then necessary, in order to prevent the engine stopping for want of fuel, to close the throttle valve more or less whereby the suction in the apparatus is increased. Such procedure, however, renders the apparatus unsuitable for general application upon motor vehicles and for many other services. This defect is generally attributml to the absence of sufficient vacuum or reduction of pressure in the engine induction pipe or manifold at full throttle opening, to lift the fuel from the low level tank.

By investigation and experiment, we have found that while there are continuous variations of pressure in the engine induction pipe or manifold, due to the suction action of the pistons, the closing of the various inlet valves, and the checks to the flow of the fuel charge, yet the intensity of the vacuum or reduced pressure which is produced when any one piston is moving at its maximum velocity on its suction stroke is sul'licient, and the duration of the periods of maximum vacuum (though short) is sutliciently long to work the apparatus and lift the fuel, if ctl'ective utilization thereof can be obtained. \Ve have further found that; the said periods of maximum vacuum can he sutliciently isolated from the periods of reduced -vacuuni, though the change from the one condition to the other may he gradual but often rccurring in a short period of time, and without in any material way throttling the suction action by impeding the transmission of the pressure reduction to the apparatus, by the fitting. within the suction connection of the apparatus. of a disk (acting as a flap valve) of such thinness as to be of practically negligible weight, having its opening movement. due to the suction action, restricted to an exceedingly small amount, while the valve aperture may be of relatively large area. o find that with this arrangement, we are enabled to lift the fuel through very considerable vertical distances under the most disaulvantagcous condit ons as regards pressure reduction in the engine intake or manifold, and thus render possible the use of the apparatus in many instances where heretofore it. has failed or been considered ini 'n'acticahle.

()ur invention therefore consists in the employment in the suction connection of the apparatus aforesaid, of a disk asbefore specified. serving as a flap or non-return valve and opening under the suction action.

Referring to the acctmipanying sheet of cxplanatm-y drawings Figure l is a sectional elevation of an apparatus having our improved means fitted thereto.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the valve fitting.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the val vc and Fig. l a sectional elevation of the valve seating portion with the screws for limiting the opening movement of the valve removed.

, tween said vessel and the engine inlet branch, .55 A vessel, a valve upon said suction connection,

pipe line between the main fuel tank and the carbureter, the fuel being received from the main tank (not shown) b the pipe (1 lnto the chamber Z) discharge thence into the chamber, 0, through the communicating passage, 8, whose discharge into the chamber,

0, is controlled by a non-return valve, 6. The fuel is delivered from the chamber 0 by way of the conection d to the carbureter. pipe e leads to the intake manifold of the engine which is the source of suction. The pipe 7 is for admitting air to the two chambers b and 0 for insuring a gravity feed to the carbureter. The float g in the chamber 6 acts to operate the suction control valve h and the air control valve 11 through-toggle lever ortri valve mechanism consisting of arms j'and loosely mounted on a pivot pin m and a spring or springs n acting on the ends of said arms .so as to operate them with a. trigger-like action when the spring or springs has or have passed over the mid or neutral position. The float 9 may also operate a valve 0 upon the fuel inlet pipe of the chamber 6. The said valve 0" is mounted on the arm 7' so that it is operated simultaneously with the valves 71. and 2'.

The vacuum or suction connection 6 with the valve 71. thereon is provided with our disk type valve consisting of the disk 10 which has its movement restricted by the heads of three screws 9. The disk may be made of steel, brass. or other material. It is exceedingly thin, beina for example, when made of steel, one two-hundred-and-fiftieth part of an inch thick and has an exceedingly small movement, as for example, one one-hundredand-twenty-fifth part of an inch, the valve throughway aperture being say one-fourth of an inch diameter.

Having now described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is i 1. In liquid fuel supply means of internal combustion engines, in combination, an intermediate vessel, a suction conection bea fuel inlet to the vessel, an air inlet to the.

a float Within said vessel in operative con nection with said valve, an automatic disk valve of practically negligible weight in said suction connection, and means restricting the opening movement of said disk under the suction action to an exceedingly small amount, asset forth.

The:

2. In liquid fuel supply means of internal combustion engines, in combination, an intermediate vessel, a suction connection between said vessel and the engine inlet branch, a fuel inlet to the vessel, an air inlet to the vessel, a valve upon said air inlet, a valve upon thesuction connection, a float within said vessel in operative connection with said valves, an automatic disk valve of practi-' cally negligible" weight in said suction connection, and means restrlctlng the opening movement of said. disk under the suction action to an exceedingly small amount, as set forth.

3. In liquid fuel supply means of internal combustion engines, in combination, an intermediate vessel, a suction connection between said vessel and the engine inlet branch, a valve upon said suction connection,

a fuel inlet to the vessel, a valve upon said fuel inlet, an air inlet to the vessel, a valve 4 upon said air inlet, a float within said vessel in operative connection with said valves, an

automatic disk valve of practically negligible weight in said suction connection, and means restricting the opening movement of said disk under the suction action to an exceedingly small amount, as set forth.

4. In liquid fuel supplymeans of internal combustion en ines, in combination, a compartmentally ivided intermediate vessel, a communicating passage between the com partments, anon-return valve upon said passage, .a,suction connection between the-upper compartment of said vessel and the engine inlet branch, a valve upon said suction connection, an air inlet to the upper compartment, a valve upon said air inlet, a float in said upper compartment in operative connection with said valves, an air inlet to the lower compartment, a fuel inlet to the upper compartment, an automatic disk valve of ioo practically negligible weight insaid suction connection, and means restricting the opening movement of said disk valve under the suction a tion to an exceedingly small amount, as set forth.

5; In liquid fuel supply means of internal combustion engines,in combination, a compartmentally divided intermediate vessel, a communicating passage between the compartments, a non-return valve upon said passage, a suction connection between the upper compartment of said vessel and the engine inlet branch, a valve upon said suc tion connection, an air inlet to the upper compartment, a valve upon said a1r lnlet; a float 1n said upper compartment 1n operative connection with said valves, an air inlet to the lower compartment, a fuel inlet to the upper compartment, an automatic disk valve of practically negligibleweight in said suction connection, and'screws in the disk valve seat having their heads forming distance In testimony whereof we have signed our 10 pieces fen restrictin the opening movement names to tlns specification in the presence of sand disk valve to an exceedmgly small of two subscribing witnesses.

but adjustable amount as set forth. a p e v 1 5 6. In a construction such as defined in claim 1, a suction outlet port from the vessel being of very large diameter relatively to \Vitnesses:

the movement'of the disk valve which con HILDA HUGHES, trols said port. ARTHUR HUGHES. 

